Sierra '10 looking forward to interview of Colombian statesman

Juan Manuel Santos is an admirer of former Minnesota Sen. Eugene McCarthy.

McCarthy campaigned for peace in Vietnam and forced the withdrawal of incumbent Lyndon Johnson during the 1968 presidential campaign. Santos, president of Colombia from 2010-18, ended a 50-year civil war in Colombia and won the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize for those efforts.

So it comes as little surprise that Santos will deliver the 13th annual Eugene J. McCarthy Lecture at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 4, at the Stephen B. Humphrey Theater at Saint John’s University. Although the lecture is free and open to the public, tickets are required and are available online or by calling the Fine Arts Programming Box Office at 320-363-5777.

“President Santos is a great admirer of the peace legacy of Eugene J. McCarthy,” said Saint John’s University graduate Valentin Sierra ’10, who will interview Santos. “When I I met President Santos at Harvard and asked him if he would be interested in doing the lecture, he said most certainly.

“It speaks greatly about how McCarthy’s leadership transcends nationality,” said Sierra, who served as one of the first student employees of the Eugene J. McCarthy Center for Public Policy and Civic Engagement. “It really is a small, interconnected world.”

A native of Manizales, Colombia, Sierra grew up in the country that was rocked by civil war with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). In 2016, Santos was the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts negotiating a peace treaty with FARC, marking an end to the longest-running conflict in the world.

It is Santos’ greatest political achievement, Sierra said of the former president, who was recognized as the Statesman of the Year by the World Economic Forum. Time Magazine also twice recognized Santos among the 100 Most Influential People in the world.

But Santos wasn’t always a dove when it came to FARC.

“When (Santos) was the Secretary of Defense (before becoming president), he was FARC’s No. 1 enemy,” Sierra said. “He basically developed the military strategy to defeat FARC, and he was very effective at waging war.

“But when he became president, he realized that the war against FARC wasn’t going to end militarily. He realized we needed a peaceful solution to foster healing and reconciliation. That was the start of the secret negotiations with FARC, and yes, it was his greatest achievement to make sure the peace process was successful.

“Not only is he an architect of a peace process, he’s also a statesman. He’s someone who is an expert on poverty alleviation and climate change, he’s someone who is an expert on economic growth,” said Sierra, pointing out that Santos is also a member of The Elders, an independent group of global leaders originally formed by Nelson Mandela who work together for peace, justice and human rights (former U.S. President Jimmy Carter is an Elder Emeritus of the group).

A great reader, Santos is a fan of Winston Churchill and Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Sierra said.

“He (Santos) once said that he would like to be remembered as the Franklin Delano Roosevelt of Colombia,” Sierra said. “He has also read more than 21 biographies of Winston Churchill, and he has read a number of biographies on FDR.

“That’s what makes him a special leader. President Santos has made sure to study world leaders and study their leadership style,” Sierra said.

The program will begin with a documentary film, “Port of Destiny,” followed by the lecture and the interview of Santos. Sierra said he hopes to “connect (Santos) to the Minnesota audience, how his themes can be applicable not only to Colombia but to Minnesota.”

At the same time, Sierra knows that some Americans pay scant attention to international affairs.

“I would encourage students to attend his lecture because a lot of times, the most important insights in our life come from the most unexpected places and situations,” Sierra said. “He’s someone that has dealt with world leaders, someone who changed the course of Latin American history and someone who has mastered the craft of leadership. He led an entire nation to peace which will leave a long-lasting impact in Minnesota.”

“I think students and all members of the CSB/SJU community should take advantage of this unique opportunity to meet a Nobel Laureate and world leader because his legacy is just starting to be written. With time, we’re going to understand how influential this Latin American leader has been,” Sierra said.

Sierra is currently the Secretary of Planning of the Colombian State of Caldas, located in the central part of the country. He serves as the governor’s “manager of public investments and development iniiatives.”

He wouldn’t mind duplicating the career path Santos has had.

“I love this job, because I was able to come back to Colombia, come back to my region after 12 years of living in the United States,” said Sierra, who majored in economics and political science at SJU before earning a master’s degree in international economics and finance from Johns Hopkins University and a master’s of public policy degree at Harvard University.

“This education allowed me to return to my region to give back to my country, and especially to serve the people of Caldas,” Sierra said. “I want to continue growing in public service, and I want to continue growing my leadership skills. I want to serve my country following on the footsteps of the best world leaders.”

The annual McCarthy Lecture carries McCarthy’s deep commitment to the ideals and principles of democratic self-government. It seeks to inspire a new generation of young people to pursue fresh ideas, to challenge the status quo, to effect positive change in their communities and, like McCarthy himself, to lead with honesty, integrity and courage.